Friday, June 26, 2009

I love recycling props. I love tearing old props apart. And I love giving face-lifts. The last time I was in the attic collecting items for this year's haunt, I noticed that my HOLLOW scarecrow wasn't looking so good. Since he was only intended for my yard haunt, I didn't build him as durable as my other props. I didn't have to worry about the rain or heavy wind. I've learned a bunch of shortcuts over the years. Building props for a one-night event is a totally different animal than building a prop for the shop, or a scarecrow for the contest. Well, HOLLOW was looking a little spent. And my Pumpkin Sentinels were designed and burning a hole in my brain.

The first Sentinel's head is, you guessed it, HOLLOW's head. The hands of both Sentinels are HOLLOW's hands (I love one-armed props, by the way).

HOLLOW lives again [left]

Recycling your old props, even ones you love, can make you grow artistically I think. There will always be the nostalgic props you adore, (and don't you dare lay a finger on them). I'll always keep ROOTS and JOHNNY APPLESEED. But the others are fair game. Like a mache junk yard of spare parts for future monsters.

Recycling is like making a prop immortal - or at least making it last until next Halloween.

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comments:

There are hundreds of Sleepy Hollow scarecrows out there but I thought that one captured the feel of the movie. First Farrah, Michael and now this news.I'm bummed. You should have saved this for Monday!

The prop I am working on right now has the "recycled" hands and head of my first attempt at a groundbreaker. They look completely different on this prop, and I'm not sure anyone would even know they are the same. I should be finished with it this weekend, then I just have to take some good pictures.